Eye-popping Blooms on the La Jolla Loop

No need to drive to Palmdale to see poppies flame the hills in the spring. Instead, head 22 miles west of Malibu Canyon on PCH to the La Jolla Canyon Trailhead.  Behind the parking lot is a hill covered with lupine and bright orange poppies.

Most families with small children stop at the base of the waterfall about ¾ miles into the trail.  The boulder-step hike beyond the fall winds up the narrow gorge overlooking the streambed with willows and black walnut alive with birdsong.

Higher up, the canyon wall is blanketed with the shaggy trunks of the Giant Coreoposis bursting with bright yellow clumps of daisies from Feb-May.

 Soon the trail levels off through a tree tunnel of lavender-blue California Lilac.

It takes you to a pond lined in with pussy willows. Nestled among the spreading coastal oak near the pond are picnic tables that invite the hiker to take a rest and enjoy lunch alfresco. Nearby is an overnight campsite. The more ambitious hiker can veer to the right and loop back on the Overlook Trail, or go left on the less traveled La Jolla Loop. Either trail is graced with spectacular vistas of Bony Mountain Ridge and the coast.

The Chumash used these trails to make inland migrations to the 600 acre expanse of grassland on the summit. Find Serenity in this back-country meadow where they collected native needle grass to build domed-shaped huts.  Mugu State Park is much the same as it was before the arrival of the Spanish in 1542. The 7000-year-old trail system connects to Rancho Sierra Vista and the Indian Cultural Center in Newbury Park.

The closet stop for a hungry hiker is Neptune’ Net, a biker hangout located between the trail head and Leo Carrillo on PCH, with live lobster and crab in the tank and burgers and fries in a basket.

Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  Subscribe to my blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.

Spur Jingling Interview with Carly Kade

Equestrian Author Spotlight: Meet Linda Ballou 0 Comment s   In this tenth Equestrian Author Spotlight, I talk with Linda Ballou. We discuss the best topics on earth ... writing, books and horses! In the interview, you'll find out that Linda gets to take horse treks around the globe and write about her experiences, hear why she loves being a writer, and if you are an aspiring author (or even an established one) Linda offers some solid tips on how to enjoy the ride. P.S, Your heart will melt over the stories behind the horses that inspired The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon Carly, a dynamic young woman who is the author of award winning In the Reins, asked me some great questions Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Besides the obvious “To Finish is to Win.” message that Gemcie brings home, I hoped that by taking readers to the mountains and seeing that world through her eyes it would engender a greater love and respect for the natural world.  Find out more in the Full interview that includes the trailer for The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  Subscribe to blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.

Remembering Ka'ahumanu on her Birthday

Happy Birthday to Ka’ahumanu the most powerful woman in old Hawai’i

On March 17^, 1768 (some say 1777) Ka’ahumanu was born in a cave at the fortress hill of Ka’uiki in Hana. The fierce Moi of Maui, once her mother’s lover, became so enraged when she chose Ke’eamuoku over him that he set his warriors upon her parents. They chased them through Haleakala Crater, but lost them in thick mountain forests. While Ka’ahumanu was still a baby her parents fled from Hana to Hawai’i where they lived in royal comfort. Wai-nani, A Voice from old Hawai’i my historical novel (1750-1819) is inspired by the life of the precocious Chiefess Ka’ahumanu. To some she is remembered as the” loving mother of the people” and to others she is the “flaw that brought down the chiefdom.”

Brave, athletic, strong, passionate, caring and centered in herself, I saw her as a forerunner of the modern woman. It was a tremendous gift to be given the opportunity to visit the cave where she was born.  It took the entire crew of six members of the Hana Canoe Club to paddle me to her birthplace.  We pointed the tip of the outrigger into the oncoming waves that sloshed over the bow and paddled through the foaming surf to the protected shallow waters lapping at the lava rocks beneath Ka’ahumanu’s birth place. I climbed the jagged black lava to a path that led to a large opening with two indentations big enough to accommodate a human.  Her mother enjoyed a lovely view of Hana Bay and the green mountains floating on the horizon. Offerings of flowers were placed in front of the cave. Before leaving I floated in the waters at the foot of her cave considered to be healing by those who come here for sacred ceremonies.

 Big Mahalo to friend and fellow author, Lorraine Brodek, for fulfilling my desire to visit the sacred birthplace of the woman that inspired my novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i 

  

Written With Warm Aloha

In the Name of Ka’ahumanu

Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, has a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  Subscribe to my blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.